(L-R) Madeira Beach Fire Department’s Kavaris Service, Johana Whitfield, Lt. George Hill, Erick Ubiles, and Joey Calderaro received awards for a heroic water rescue.
Photo courtesy of the City of Madeira Beach
We grow up watching superheroes with capes and dramatic rescues. Real heroes work without theme music or scripted glory. They ride in fire engines, patrol cars, and rescue boats. On Oct. 12, Madeira Beach firefighters proved what everyday heroism looks like.
A Blind Response to a Terrifying Scene
The call came in as a water rescue. Dispatch gave no details or severity. Marine crews lack onboard computers, so they launched without notes or updates.
Marine 25 moved toward John’s Pass with Lt. George Hill, Driver Engineer Erick Ubiles, and Firefighter/Paramedic Joey Calderaro. Medic 25 raced by land with Firefighter/Paramedics Johana Whitfield and Kavaris Service.
“As soon as we got to the pass, we saw people waving us in,” Calderaro said. “That’s when we knew this was serious.”
A Jet Ski had slammed into a family sitting still on another Jet Ski. The high-speed impact threw three people into the water, including two young children.
A Rescue Without Hesitation
Calderaro, the rescue swimmer, entered the water first.
“The uncle handed me the daughter,” he said. “She was under 10 and the most critical. We got her on the boat immediately.”
The crew pulled the second child aboard next, then the adult. All three showed signs of severe trauma.
Hill recognized the crisis instantly.
“We hit trauma alert criteria right away,” he said. “Kids hit harder emotionally. These were someone’s babies.”
Marine 25 rushed the victims to Don’s Dock, where Medic 25 waited with more paramedics. Both children were transported under trauma alert to the Bayfront Emergency Room.
The Quiet Weight Firefighters Carry
When the crews returned to the station, reality settled in.
“These calls stay with you,” Hill said. “We all have kids. So the first thing we do is check on each other.”
They waited for updates, hoping for good news while replaying every moment.
Hours later, the call came: both children were expected to recover.
“It was a huge relief,” Hill said. “That’s when you let yourself breathe.”
Fire Chief and Acting City Manager Clint Belk understands the anxiety that comes with waiting.
“It was definitely nice to get an update on the patients. It doesn’t happen very often,” Belk said.
A Family’s Gratitude — and a Community Reminder
The family who was rescued treated their heroes to breakfast at The Frog Pond restaurant Nov. 17.
Courtesy of Madeira Beach Fire Department
The family later sent a letter to Mayor Anne-Marie Brooks and the City Commission. They thanked the firefighters for their “quick, professional, and compassionate response during an unimaginable emergency.”
“They train so much for this exact scenario and now everyone gets to see why we train like we do. Having the Gulf Beaches fire departments so united allows a high stress call such as this one to be a successful call.” Chief Belk said proudly, then continued: “The family has been very gracious and even treated Madeira Beach Fire Department, Treasure Island Fire Department, and Sunstar to breakfast at the Frog Pond last week.”
The City of Madeira Beach formally recognized:
Marine 25
• Lt. George Hill
• Driver Engine Erick Ubiles
•Firefighter/Paramedic Joey Calderaro
Medic 25
• Firefighter/Paramedic Johana Whitfield
• Firefighter/Paramedic Kavaris Service
These heroes don’t wear capes or act in movies. They respond to chaos with calm, training, and courage.
And they do it every day for people they have never met.
If the movies want heroes, they can keep looking. Madeira Beach already has them.
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